STUDY HAUL | All the coolest cannabis research from January

‘We need more research.’

It’s the one thing about cannabis everyone can agree on.

From overall wellness to creativity boosting and the holy grail of “targeted medicine,” the matrix of connections between our bodies and the plant remains mostly uncharted, largely because federal prohibition blocks government grants and resources. But the sweep of legalization is bringing a wave of new cannabis understanding.

With new studies, surveys, and trend reports popping up daily – and even bigger ones on the way – Eaze is tracking the most essential developments to help you keep up throughout 2019.

Enjoy the momentum!

Long-term cannabis use = lower BMI.

So much for couches-and-munchies: Lifelong cannabis use meant lower body-mass index in a study of 250 men by Arizona State University and the University of Pittsburgh. First published in Psychosomatic Medicine, the findings are consistent with previous data showing lower cardiometabolic risk factors like obesity and diabetes in cannabis users. H/T MJNewsNetwork.

Are the feds finally buying in?

It sure seems that way: The U.S. government announced it will divide $1.5 million in grants among four researchers to study the potential of non-psychoactive cannabinoids (everything but THC). It’s one of several recent federally supported efforts, despite continued federal prohibition that even government scientists and the Surgeon General himself admit are holding back progress. Meanwhile the House of Representatives introduced a new bill that would compel the Veteran’s Administration to study medical marijuana for veterans. H/T Marijuana Moment.

Consumers are diversifying, and ditching their pills.

Our own State of Cannabis report from Eaze Insights found that Baby Boomers were the fastest-growing consumer subset, with women continuing to make year-over-year gains on men. Interest in CBD and a desire for alternatives to prescription and over-the-counter pain medications (also supported by a private survey and two all-new studies) were factors. From Eaze Insights 2018 State of Cannabis Report.

We’ve been buds with cannabis for 10,000+ years.

The Journal of Cellular Physiology published a study of humanity’s relationship with cannabis over millennia, and their findings are the literal definition of epic: From the tomb of the legendary pharaoh Ramsés II, to the graves of the ancient nomadic Scythian warriors, and ceramic shards from central Japan dating back 10,000 years, remnants of cannabis use can be found across human history and the globe. H/T Marijuana Moment.

Graduate magna cum loud.

More pharmacy colleges are offering medical cannabis curriculum, according to Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning. University of Pittsburgh researchers say 62 percent of 140 American schools reported some medical marijuana training. Another 23 percent say it’s on the way. UC Berkeley, meanwhile, this week opened its Cannabis Research Center to study impacts of cannabis cultivation. H/T WeedNews.

Traffic deaths do not spike on 4/20, duh.

Workplace fatalities fall in legalized states.

Deaths among workers 25 to 44 years old fell by 19.5% in states that legalized medical marijuana, according to data from 1992 to 2015, when 24 states and Washington, D.C., went medical. Published in International Journal of Drug Policy, the findings showed on-the-job deaths falling by 33% once laws had been in effect for five years. H/T Pacific Standard.

CBD can take you … higher?

Though we tend to think of CBD as the “not high” cannabinoid and THC miitgator, low doses of CBD may actually increase THC’s intoxication effect, according to an Australian study of 36 experienced people who vaped various combinations of THC, CBD and placebo. Also notable: CBD-only participants were observed to have degrees of intoxication, including “altered internal and external perceptions.” H/T Marijuana Moment.

Blue-states smoke more marijuana, are chill about it.

Young people in liberal-leaning states consume more cannabis, but are less likely to develop a dependence on it, according to a Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health study. This rang true whether the state had a legal market or not, indicating that political leanings do in fact have an impact on consumption patterns. H/T The Verge.

Your Mayor is probably one, too.

A majority of U.S. mayors, 55% overall, want legal cannabis in their cities, according to a Boston University poll. Supporters skewed heavily Democrat, with 62%; while 25% of Republican mayors were onboard. H/T Marijuana Moment.

Music fans’ drugs vary across genres, but weed rules them all.

Researchers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia measured wastewater from music festivals, and found close correlations between certain styles of music and the prevalence of different drugs. Cannabis was equally popular across the board, with a small spike for rock and pop events. H/T Marjuana Moment.

Dabbing > doobies.

Inhaling concentrates with a dab rig could make THC more bioavailable by a factor of 3x over smoking rolled joints, according to a group of Swedish scientists’ findings in Forensic Science International.